Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!trident.arc.nasa.gov!yee From: yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: STS-30 Press Release pack (Part 2) (Forwarded) Message-ID: <23864@ames.arc.nasa.gov> Date: 12 Apr 89 20:48:11 GMT Sender: usenet@ames.arc.nasa.gov Reply-To: yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA Lines: 951 MAGELLAN SCIENCE TEAM The Magellan science team includes members representing five nations. Investigators were selected by NASA from institutions scattered throughout the United States: Aerospace Corporation, Geological Technology Research Institute, National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center of Cornell University (Puerto Rico), Rand Corp., Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Vexcel Corp. University participation is through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Brown, Southern Methodist, Stanford and Washington Universities; and the Universities of Arizona, Arkansas and California. Governmental agency participants are from NASA centers and the U.S. Geological Survey. International investigators come from the Australian National University, the Canada Center for Remote Sensing, the Universities of London and Oxford and Ballard Laboratories (England), and the Group de Recherches de Geodesie Spatiale and the Observatoire de Pic-du-Midi-Toulouse (France). VENUS FACTS Radius: 3,630 miles Rotational Period: 243 Earth days Orbit Period: 225 Earth days Distance from Sun: 64,920,000 miles Density: 5.2 times that of water Surface Gravity: .907 times that of Earth's gravity Atmospheric Pressure at Surface: 90 times that of Earth's surface pressure Temperature at Surface: 850 degrees Fahrenheit Atmospheric Composition: Carbon dioxide (96%); nitrogen (3+%); trace amounts of sulfur dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, argon, helium, neon, hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride MAGELLAN MISSION HIGHLIGHTS Interplanetary Cruise: 442 - 468 days Planned Trajectory Correction Maneuvers - 15 days after deployment from Shuttle; 360 days after deployment from Shuttle; and 17 days before Venus orbit insertion Orbit Insertion: Aug. 10, 1990, 1700 GMT, STAR 48 solid rocket motor fires to put spacecraft in orbit around Venus Mapping Orbit Period: 3.15 hours Radar Mapping: 37 minutes per orbit Mapping Orbit Inclination: 86 degrees Superior Conjunction: Oct. 26 - Nov. 9, 1990 End of Nominal Mission: April 28, 1991 Data Gap Recoverable: June 27 - July 10, 1991 RADAR INVESTIGATION GROUP Gordon H. Pettengill (Principal Investigator), Massachusetts Institute of Technology Raymond E. Arvidson, Washington University Victor R. Baker, University of Arizona Joseph H. Binsack, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joseph M. Boyce, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Donald B. Campbell, National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center Merton E. Davies, Rand Corporation Charles Elachi, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology John E. Guest, University College London James W. Head, III, Brown University William M. Kaula, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Kurt L. Lambeck, The Australian National University Franz W. Leberl, Vexcel Corporation Harold Masursky, U.S. Geological Survey Daniel P. McKenzie, Ballard Laboratories Barry E. Parsons, University of Oxford Roger J. Phillips, Southern Methodist University R. Keith Raney, Canada Center for Remote Sensing R. Stephen Saunders, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Gerald Schaber, U.S. Geological Survey Gerald Schubert, University of California at Los Angeles Laurence A. Soderblom, U.S. Geological Survey Sean C. Solomon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology H. Ray Stanley, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Manik Talwani, Geological Technology Research Institute G. Leonard Tyler, Stanford University John A. Wood, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Gravity Investigation Group Michel Lefebvre (Principal Investigator), Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales William L. Sjogren (Principal Investigator), NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology Georges Balmino, Center National d'Etudes Spatiales Nicole Borderies, Center National d'Etudes Spatiales Bernard Moynot, Center National d'Etudes Spatiales Mohan Ananda, Aerospace Corporation INERTIAL UPPER STAGE The Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) will be used with the Space Shuttle to transport NASA's Magellan spacecraft out of Earth's orbit to Venus, some 26 million miles from Earth. IUS-18, the IUS to be used on mission STS-30, is a two-stage solid-propellant vehicle weighing approximately 32,500 pounds. The IUS is 17 feet long and 9.25 ft. in diameter. It consists of an aft skirt; an aft stage solid rocket motor (SRM) containing approximately 21,400 lb. of propellant and generating approximately 42,000 lb. of thrust; an interstage; a forward stage SRM with 6,000 lb. of propellant generating approximately 18,000 lb. of thrust; and an equipment support section. The equipment support section contains the avionics, which provide guidance, navigation, control, telemetry, command and data management, reaction control and electrical power. All mission-critical components of the avionics system, along with thrust vector actuators, reaction control thrusters, motor igniter and pyrotechnic stage separation equipment are redundant to assure better than 98 percent reliability. The IUS Airborne Support Equipment (ASE) is the mechanical, avionics, and structural equipment located in the orbiter. The ASE support the IUS and the Magellan in the orbiter payload bay and elevates the Magellan/IUS combination on a tilt table to 52 degrees for final checkout and deployment from the orbiter. The IUS ASE consists of the structure, aft tilt-frame actuator, batteries, electronics and cabling to support the Magellan/IUS combination. These ASE subsystems enable the deployment of the combined vehicle; provide, distribute and/or control electrical power to the IUS and spacecraft; and serve as communication conduits between the IUS and/or spacecraft and the orbiter. The IUS structure is capable of supporting all the loads generated internally and also by the cantilevered spacecraft during orbiter operations and IUS free flight. In addition, the structure physically supports all the equipment and solid rocket motors within the IUS, and provides the mechanisms for IUS stage separation. The major structural assemblies of the two- stage IUS are the equipment support section, interstage and aft skirt. It is made of aluminum skin-stringer construction, with longerons and ring frames. The equipment support section houses the majority of the avionics of the IUS. The top of the equipment support section contains the spacecraft interface mounting ring and electrical interface connector segment for mating and integrating the spacecraft with the IUS. Thermal isolation is provided by a multilayer insulation blanket across the interface between the IUS and Magellan. The avionics subsystems consist of the telemetry, tracking, and command subsystems; guidance and navigation subsystem; data management; thrust vector control; and electrical power subsystems. These subsystems include all the electronic and electrical hardware used to perform all computations, signal conditioning, data processing, and formatting associated with navigation, guidance, control, data and redundancy management. The IUS avionics subsystems also provide the equipment for communications between the orbiter and ground stations, as well as electrical power distribution. Attitude control in response to guidance commands is provided by thrust vectoring during powered flight and by reaction control thrusters while coasting. Attitude is compared with guidance commands to generate error signals. During solid motor firing, these commands gimble the IUS's movable nozzle to provide the desired attitude pitch and yaw control. The IUS's roll axis thrusters maintain roll control. While coasting, the error signals are processed in the computer to generate thruster commands to maintain the vehicle's attitude or to maneuver the vehicle. The IUS electrical power subsystem consists of avionics batteries, IUS power distribution units, power transfer unit, utility batteries, pyrotechnic switching unit, IUS wiring harness and umbilical, and staging connectors. The IUS avionics system distributes electrical power to the Magellan/IUS interface connector for all mission phases from prelaunch to spacecraft separation. The IUS two-stage vehicle uses both a large and small SRM. These motors employ movable nozzles for thrust vector control. The nozzles provide up to 4 degrees of steering on the large motor and 7 degrees on the small motor. The large motor is the longest thrusting duration SRM ever developed for space, with the capability to thrust as long as 150 seconds. Mission requirements and constraints (such as weight) can be met by tailoring the amount of propellant carried. The reaction control system controls the Magellan/IUS spacecraft attitude during coasting; roll control during SRM thrustings; velocity impulses for accurate orbit injection; and the final collision avoidance maneuver. As a minimum, the IUS includes one reaction control fuel tank with a capacity of 120 lb. of hydrazine. Production options are available to add a second or third tank; however, IUS-18 will require only one tank, with 120 lb. of fuel. To avoid spacecraft contamination, the IUS has no forward facing thrusters. The reaction control system is also used to provide the velocities for spacing between several spacecraft deployments and avoiding collision or contamination after the spacecraft separates. The Magellan spacecraft is physically attached to the IUS at eight attachment points, providing substantial load carrying capability while minimizing the transfer of heat across the connecting points. Power, command and data transmission between the two are provided by several IUS interface connectors. In addition, the IUS provides a multilayer insulation blanket of aluminized Kapton with polyester net spacers across the Magellan/IUS interface, along with an aluminized Beta cloth outer layer. All IUS thermal blankets are vented toward and into the IUS cavity, which in turn is vented to the orbiter payload bay. There is no gas flow between the spacecraft and the IUS. The thermal blankets are grounded to the IUS structure to prevent electrostatic charge buildup. After the orbiter payload bay doors are opened in orbit, the orbiter will maintain a preselected attitude to keep the payload within thermal requirements and constraints. On-orbit IUS predeployment checkout is accomplished, followed by an IUS command link check and spacecraft communications check. Orbiter trim maneuver(s) are normally performed at this time. Forward payload restraints will be released and the aft frame of the airborne support equipment will tilt the Magellan/IUS to 29 degrees. This will extend the payload into space just outside the orbiter payload bay, allowing direct communication with Earth during systems checkout. The orbiter will then be maneuvered to the deployment attitude. If a problem has developed within the spacecraft or IUS, the IUS and its payload can be restowed. Prior to deployment, the spacecraft electrical power source will be switched from orbiter power to IUS internal power by the orbiter flight crew. After verifying that the spacecraft is on IUS internal power and that all Magellan/IUS predeployment operations have been successfully completed, a "Go/No-Go" decision for deployment will be sent to the crew. When the orbiter flight crew is given a "Go" decision, it will activate the ordnance that separates the spacecraft's umbilical cables. The crew will then command the electromechanical tilt actuator to raise the tilt table to a 52-degree deployment position. The orbiter's Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters will be inhibited and an ordnance separation device initiated to physically separate the IUS/spacecraft combination from the tilt table. Compressed springs provide the force to jettison the IUS/Magellan from the orbiter payload bay at approximately 6 inches per second. The deployment is normally performed in the shadow of the orbiter or in Earth eclipse. The tilt table will then be lowered to minus 6 degrees after the IUS and spacecraft are deployed. A small orbiter maneuver will be made to back away from IUS/Magellan. Approximately 19 minutes after deployment the orbiter's OMS engines will be ignited to move the orbiter away from the IUS/spacecraft. After deployment, IUS/Magellan is controlled by the IUS onboard computers. Approximately 10 minutes after IUS/Magellan is deployed from the orbiter, the IUS onboard computer will send out signals used by the IUS and/or Magellan to begin mission sequence events. This signal also will enable the RCS and initiate deployment of the spacecraft's solar panels. All subsequent operations will be sequenced by the IUS computer, from transfer orbit injection through spacecraft separation and IUS deactivation. After the RCS has been activated, the IUS will maneuver to the required thermal attitude and perform any required spacecraft thermal control maneuvers. At approximately 45 minutes after deployment from the orbiter, the ordnance inhibits for the first SRM will be removed. The belly of the orbiter already will have been oriented towards the IUS/Magellan combination to protect the orbiter windows from the IUS's plume. The IUS will recompute the first ignition time and maneuvers necessary to attain the proper attitude for the first thrusting period. When the proper transfer orbit opportunity is reached, the IUS computer will send the signal to ignite the first-stage motor. After firing approximately 150 seconds, the IUS first stage will have expended its fuel and will be separated from the IUS second stage. Approximately 2.5 minutes after first-stage burnout, the second-stage motor will be ignited, thrusting about 108 seconds. The IUS second stage will then separate and perform a final collision/contamination avoidance maneuver before deactivating. The IUS was developed and built by Boeing Aerospace, Seattle, under contract to the Air Force Systems Command's Space Systems Division. The Space Systems Division is executive agent for all Department of Defense activities pertaining to the Space Shuttle system and provides the IUS to NASA for Shuttle use. MESOSCALE LIGHTNING EXPERIMENT The Mesoscale Lightning Experiment (MLE) is designed to obtain nighttime images of lightning in an attempt to better understand what effects lightning discharges have on each other, on nearby storm systems, on storm microbursts and wind patterns, and other interrelationships over an extremely large geographical area. This information could lead to better Earth weather prediction models for use in airline operations and such applications as lightning early warning systems for outdoor crews of oil derricks, electrical power companies, large cranes and construction equipment. In recent years, NASA has used high-altitude U-2 aircraft instrumented to conduct atmospheric and electricity research over the tops of active thunderstorms. The objectives of these flights have been to determine some of the baseline design requirements for a satellite-borne optical lightning mapper sensor, to study the overall optical and electrical characteristics of lightning as viewed from above cloudtops and to investigate the relationship between storm electrical development and the structure, dynamics and evolution of thunderstorms and thunderstorm systems. Since scientists largely have satisfied the need to acquire a quantitative data base for design of a lightning mapper sensor, the lightning research goals now focus primarily on characterizing the types of optical and electrical signals it produces. As such, many of the U-2 flights have been coordinated with large ground-based meteorological centers and satellites to gather data on lightning using doppler and conventional radar, ground-based and airborne electricity and microphysical observations, detailed precipitation measurements, ground strike lightning mapping, and visible and infrared Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellite images. Electric field meters and conductivity probes have been added recently to the U-2 instrument package to measure electric fields and conductivity. This provides a means to estimate the current flowing from a thunderstorm to the ionosphere. But optically, the area photographed by an aircraft is limited by the maximum height it can fly. To document large or mesoscale areas, video must be obtained from satellites or the Space Shuttle. The MLE will employ Shuttle payload bay cameras to observe lightning discharges at night from active storms. Using the Shuttle's payload bay color video camera augmented by a 35mm handheld still picture camera with 400 ASA film, the Shuttle cameras' 40-degree field of vision will cover an area rougly 200 by 150 nautical miles directly below the Shuttle. Astronauts also will document mesoscale storm systems that are oblique to the Shuttle but near NASA ground-based lightning detection facilities at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., Kennedy Space Center, Fla. and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Severe Storms Laboratory, Norman, Okla. The Shuttle payload bay camera system will be stationary, pointed directly below the orbiter. The imagery will be analyzed for the frequency of flashes, the size of the lightning and its brightness. Experiment investigators will analyze the lightning data taken from the Shuttle as well as information from the ground- based lightning detection network. Otha H. Vaughan, Jr., is principal investigator. Co-investigators are Dr. Bernard Vonnegut, State University of New York, Albany; Dr. Marx Brook, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro; and Dr. Richard Blakeslee, Marshall Space Flight Center. Gregory Wilson is the Marshall mission manager. MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH WITH THE FLUIDS EXPERIMENT APPARATUS Rockwell International, through its Space Transportation Systems Division, Downey, Calif., is engaged in a joint endeavor agreement (JEA) with NASA's Office of Commercial Programs in the field for floating zone crystal growth research. The agreement, signed on March 17, 1987, provides for microgravity experiments to be performed in the company's microgravity laboratory, the Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA), on two Space shuttle missions. Under the sponsorship of the NASA Office of Commercial Programs, the FEA will fly aboard Atlantis on STS-30. Rockwell's Space Transportation Systems Division is responsibe for developing the FEA hardware and for integrating the experiment payload. Rockwell's Science Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif., has the responsibility for developing the materials science experiments and for analyzing their results. The Indium Corporation of America of Utica, New York is collaborating with the Science Center in the development and analysis of the experiments and is providing the three Indium samples to be processed on the FEA-2 Mission. NASA will provide standard Space Shuttle flight services under the JEA. Floating Zone Crystal Growth and Purification The floating zone process involves an annular heater that melts a length of sample material and them moves along the sample. As the heater moves (translates), more and more of the polycrystalline material in front of it melts. The molten material behind the heater will cool and resolidify. The presence of a "seed" crystal at the initial solidification interface, will establish the crytallographic lattice structure and orientation of the single crystal that results. Impurities in the polycrystalline material will tend to stay in the melt as it passes along the sample and will be deposited at the end when the heater is turned off and the melt finally solidifies. On the ground, under the influence of gravity, the length of the melt is dependent upon the density and surface tension of the material being processed. Many industrially important materials cannot be successfully processed because of their properties. In the microgravity environment of spaceflight, the length of the melt is only limited to the diameter of the sample and is independent of material properties. Materials of industrial interest include indium antimonide, cadmium telluride, gallium arsenide and others. Potential applications for these materials include advanced electronic, electo-optical and optical devices and high-purity feed stock. The FEA-2 experiments involve five samples, three of indium with a melting point of 156 Celsius and two of selenium with a melting point of 217 Celsius. Each sample will be 1 centimeter in diameter by 19 centimeters long. The heater translation rates and process durations are given by the table on the next page. On orbit, the flight crew will prepare the FEA by connecting its computer and camera. The five experiment samples will be sequentially installed in the FEA at mission elapsed times of 21.5, 25.9, 30.1, 51.9 and 73.5 hours, respectively, and processed according to their unique requirements. The experiment parameters (heater power and translation rate) will be controlled by the operator through the FEA control panel. Sample behavior, primarily melt zone length, will be observed by the operator and recorded by the FEA camera. Experiment data (heater power, heater translation rate, heater position, experiment time, and various experiment and FEA temperatures) will be formatted, displayed to the operator and recorded by the computer. The operator will record mission elapsed time at the start of each experiment as well as significant orbiter maneuvers during FEA operations. In general, the experiment process involves installing a sample in the FEA, positioning the heater at a predesignated point along the sample, turning on the heater to melt a length of sample (approximately twice the diameter), starting the heater translation at a fixed rate (for the last three samples only), and maintaining a constant the melt zone length by controlling the heater power. Once the end of the sample is reached, the heater is turned off and the translation reversed until it reaches the starting end of the sample. The sample, camera film and computer disk then can be changed and the next experiment started. Fluids Experiment Apparatus (FEA) The FEA is designed to perform materials processing research in the microgravity environment of spaceflight. Its design and operational characteristics are based on actual industrial requirements and have been coordinated thoroughly with industrial scientists and NASA materials-processing specialists and Space Shuttle operations personnel. Convenient, low-cost access to space for basic and applied research in a variety of product and process technologies is provided by the FEA. The FEA is a modular microgravity chemistry and physics laboratory for use on the Space Shuttle and supports materials processing research in crystal growth, general liquid chemistry, fluid physics and thermodynamics. It has the functional capability to heat, cool, mix, stir or centrifuge experiment samples that can be gaseous, liquid or solid. Samples can be processed in a variety of containers or in a semicontainerless floating zone mode. Multiple samples can be installed, removed or exchanged during a mission through a 14.1 by 10 inch door in the FEA's cover. Instrumentation can measure sample temperature, pressure, viscosity, etc. A video or super-8 millimeter movie camera can be used to record sample behavior. Experiment data can be displayed and recorded through the use of a portable computer that also is capable of controlling experiments. Interior dimensions of the FEA are approximately 18.6 by 14.5 by 7.4 inches, and it can accommodate approximately 26 pounds of experiment-unique hardware and subsystems. It mounts in place of a standard stowage locker in the middeck of the Shuttle crew compartment, where it is operated by the flight crew. This installation and means of operation permit the FEA to be flown on most Space Shuttle missions. Modular design permits the FEA to be easily configured for almost any experiment. Configurations even can be changed in orbit, permitting experiments of different types to be performed on a given Shuttle mission. Optional subsystems can include custom furnace and oven designs, special sample containers, low-temperature air heaters, specimen centrifuge, special instrumentation, and other systems specified by the user. Up to 100 watts of 120 volt, 400-hertz power is available from the Shuttle orbiter for FEA experiments. Sample Material Heater Rate Duration (centimeters/hours) (hours) 1 indium 0 2 2 indium 0 2 3 indium 1.25 16 4 selenium 1.25 16 5 selenium 0.62 16 [This data was mangled (no spaces), so I may have botched the formatting.-PEY] AIR FORCE MAUI OPTICAL SITE CALIBRATION TEST The Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) tests allow ground- based electro-optical sensors located on Mt. Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii, to collect imagery and signature data of the orbiter during cooperative overflights. The scientific observations made of the orbiter, while performing reaction control system thruster firings, water dumps or payload bay light activation, are used to support calibration of the AMOS sensors and the validation of spacecraft contamination models. The AMOS tests have no payload-unique flight hardware and only require that the orbiter be in predefined attitude operations and lighting conditions. The AMOS facility was developed by the Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) through its Rome Air Development Center, Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y., and is administered and operated by the AVCO Everett Research Laboratory in Maui. The principal investigator for the AMOS tests on the Space Shuttle is from AFSC's Air Force Geophysics Laboratory, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. A co-principal investigator is from AVCO. Flight planning and mission support activities for the AMOS test opportunities are provided by a detachment of AFSC's Space Systems Division at Johnson Space Center. Flight operations are conducted at JSC Mission Control Center in coordination with the AMOS facilities located in Hawaii. PAYLOAD AND VEHICLE WEIGHTS Vehicle/Payload Weight (Pounds) Orbiter Atlantis (Empty) 171,600 Magellan/IUS 45,748 DSO 6 FEA 128 IUS Support Equipment 204 MLE 31 Orbiter and Cargo at SRB Ignition 217,513 Total Vehicle at SRB Ignition 4,525,116 Orbiter Landing Weight 192,313 SPACEFLIGHT TRACKING AND DATA NETWORK Primary communications for most activities on STS-30 will be conducted through the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). However, the NASA Spaceflight Tracking and Data Relay Network of ground stations will continue to play a role in the mission. The stations, along with the NASA Communications Network, at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will serve as backups for communications with Space Shuttle Atlantis should a problem develop in the satellite communications. Ground tracking facilities serve as focal points during the launch and ascent of the Shuttle from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. For the first minute and 20 seconds, all voice, telemetry and other communications from the Shuttle are relayed to the mission managers at Kennedy and at Johnson Space Center, Houston, by the Merritt Island facility. At 1 minute, 20 seconds, the communications are picked up from the Shuttle and relayed to KSC and JSC from the Ponce de Leon facility, 30 miles north of the launch pad. This facility provides the communications for 70 seconds during a critical period when exhaust energy from the solid rocket motors "blocks out" the Merritt Island antennas. The Merritt Island facility resumes communications to and from the Shuttle after those 70 seconds and maintains them until 6 minutes, 30 seconds after launch when communications are "switched over" to Bermuda. Bermuda then provides the communications until 11 minutes after liftoff. At that time, TDRS-East acquires the satellite. With the completion of the TDRS constellation of three satellites on mission STS-29 in March, plans are underway to phase out five of the ground stations. They are Guam, after June 30, 1989; Ascension Island, Hawaii and Santiago, Chile, after Sept. 30, 1989; and Dakar, Senegal, on Dec. 30, 1990. After these stations are closed, the Merritt Island, Ponce de Leon, Bermuda and Wallops Island, Va., stations will remain in operation. CREW BIOGRAPHIES DAVID M. WALKER, 44, captain, USN, is mission commander. Although born in Columbus, Ga., he considers Eustis, Fla., his hometown. Walker is a member of the astronaut class of 1978. Walker was pilot of STS-51A, launched Nov. 8, 1984, marking the second flight of the orbiter Discovery. During the mission, the crew deployed two satellites and, in the first space salvage mission in history, also retrieved and returned to Earth the Palapa B-2 and Westar VI satellites. His assignments also have included: Astronaut Office safety officer; deputy chief of Aircraft Operations; STS-1 chase pilot; software verification at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL); and assistant to the director, Flight Crew Operations. He has logged 192 hours in space. Walker earned a B.S. degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1966. He received flight training from the Naval Aviation Training Command at bases in Florida, Mississippi and Texas. He completed two combat cruises in Southeast Asia as a fighter pilot, flying F-4 Phantoms aboard the carriers USS Enterprise and USS America. In January 1972, Walker became an experimental and engineering test pilot in the flight test division at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Md. Walker has logged more than 5,000 hours flying time, 4,500 in jet aircraft. RONALD J. GRABE, 43, colonel, USAF, is pilot. He was born in New York, N.Y., and is a member of the astronaut class of 1981. Grabe was pilot for STS-51J, the second Space Shuttle Department of Defense mission, launched Oct. 3, 1985, on the orbiter Atlantis' maiden voyage. He has logged 98 hours in space. Grabe earned a B.S. degree in engineering science from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1966 and studied aeronautics as a Fulbright Scholar at the Technische Hochschule, Darmstadt, West Germany, in 1967. Following his studies in West Germany, Grabe returned to the United States to complete pilot training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. In 1969, he was assigned as an F-100 pilot with the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base, Republic of Vietnam, where he flew 200 combat missions. Grabe graduated from the USAF Test Pilot School in 1975 and was assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center as a test pilot for the A-7 and F-111. He later served as an exchange test pilot with the Royal Air Force at Boscombe Down, United Kingdom, from 1976 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., when advised of his selection by NASA. Grabe has logged more than 4,000 hours flying time. NORMAN E. THAGARD, M.D., 45, is mission specialist 1 (MS-1). Although born in Marianna, Fla., Thagard considers Jacksonville, Fla., his hometown. He is a member of the astronaut class of 1978. Thagard was a mission specialist on STS-7, launched June 8, 1983. It was the second flight for the orbiter Challenger and the first mission with a five-person crew. During the mission, the STS-7 crew operated the Canadian-built remote manipulator system arm to perform the first deployment and retrieval exercise with the Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS-01); conducted the first formation flying of the orbiter with a free-flying satellite (SPAS-01); and carried and operated the first U.S./German cooperative materials science payload. During the flight, Thagard conducted various medical tests and collected data on physiological changes associated with astronaut adaptation to space. Thagard also served as a mission specialist on STS-51B, the Spacelab-3 science mission, launched April 29, 1985, aboard Challenger. Duties on orbit included satellite deployment operation with the NUSAT satellite and care for the 24 rodents and two squirrel monkeys contained in the Research Animal Holding Facility. Thagard earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering science from Florida State Univeristy before earning an M.D. degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1977. After entering active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Thagard achieved the rank of captain in 1967 and a year later was designated a naval aviator assigned to fly F-4s at Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, S.C. He flew 163 combat missions in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970. Thagard resumed his academic studies in 1971, pursuing additional studies in electrical engineering and a degree in medicine. Thagard is a pilot and has logged over 2,200 hours flying time, the majority in jet aircraft. MARY L. CLEAVE, Ph.D., 42, is mission specialist 2 (MS-2). Cleave was born in Southampton, N.Y. She is a member of the astronaut class of 1980. Cleave was a mission specialist on STS-61B which was launched at night, Nov. 26, 1985. During the mission, the crew deployed communications satellites and conducted two 6-hour spacewalks to demonstrate Space Station construction techniques with the EASE/ACCESS experiments. This was the heaviest payload weight a Space Shuttle had carried to orbit. Cleave also has worked as a capsule communicator (capcom) in the Mission Control Center on five Space Shuttle flights. Cleave has logged 165 hours in space. Cleave earned a B.S. degree in biological sciences from Colorado State University in 1969. She earned an M.S. degree in microbial ecology and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State University in 1975 and 1979, respectively. Cleave held graduate research, research phycologist and research engineer assignments in the Ecology Center and the Utah Water Research Laboratory at Utah State University from 1971 to 1980. MARK C. LEE, 36, major, USAF, is mission specialist 3 (MS-3). This will be his first space flight. Born in Viroqua, Wis., he is a member of the astronaut class of 1984. Lee has participated in the planning and simulation of several extravehicular activity missions and has served as the support crewmember for mission STS-51I, Leasat retrieval and repair. He also has served as a capcom. Lee earned a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1974 and a M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980. Following pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, Lee spent 2 1/2 years at Okinawa Air Base, Japan, in the 25th Tactical Fighter Squadron flying F-4s. In 1982, he served as the 388TFW deputy commander for operations, executive officer and flight commander in the 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, until his selection as an astronaut candidate. Lee has logged 2,000 hours flying time, primarily in the T-38, F-4 and F-16 aircraft. NASA PROGRAM MANAGEMENT NASA Headquarters Washington, D.C. Dale D. Myers Acting Administrator RADM Richard H. Truly Associate Administrator for Space Flight George W. S. Abbey Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Flight Arnold D. Aldrich Director, National Space Transportation Program Richard H. Kohrs Deputy Director, NSTS Program (located at Johnson Space Center) Robert L. Crippen Deputy Director, NSTS Operations (located at Kennedy Space Center) David L. Winterhalter Director, Systems Engineering and Analyses Gary E. Krier Director, Operations Utilization Joseph B. Mahon Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Flight (Flight Systems) Charles R. Gunn Director, Unmanned Launch Vehicles and Upper Stages George A. Rodney Associate Administrator for Safety, Reliability, Maintainability and Quality Assurance Dr. Lennard A. Fisk Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Samuel W. Keller Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Dr. Geoffrey A. Briggs Director, Solar System Exploration Division Dr. William L. Piotrowski Manager, Magellan Program Dr. Joseph Boyce Magellan Program Scientist Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas Aaron Cohen Director Paul J. Weitz Deputy Director Richard A. Colonna Manager, Orbiter and GFE Projects Donald R. Puddy Director, Flight Crew Operations Eugene F. Kranz Director, Mission Operations Henry O. Pohl Director, Engineering Charles S. Harlan Director, Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Kennedy Space Center Florida Forrest A. McCartney Director Thomas E. Utsman Deputy Director Jay F. Honeycutt Director, Shuttle Management and Operations Robert B. Sieck Launch Director George T. Sasseen Shuttle Engineering Director Conrad G. Nagel Atlantis Flow Director James A. Thomas Director, Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance John T. Conway Director, Payload Management and Operations Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, Ala. James R. Thompson Jr. Director Thomas J. Lee Deputy Director William R. Marshall Manager, Shuttle Projects Office Dr. J. Wayne Littles Director, Science and Engineering Alexander A. McCool Director, Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance Gerald W. Smith Manager, Solid Rocket Booster Project Joseph A. Lombardo Manager, Space Shuttle Main Engine Project Jerry W. Smelser Acting Manager, External Tank Project Stennis Space Center Bay St. Louis, Miss. Roy S. Estess Director William F. Taylor Associate Director J. Harry Guin Director, Propulsion Test Operations Edward L. Tilton III Director, Science and Technology Laboratory John L. Gasery Jr. Chief, Safety/Quality Assurance and Occupational Health Ames Research Center Mountain View, Calif. Dr. William F. Ballhaus Jr. Director Dr. Dale L. Compton Deputy Director Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility Edwards, Calif. Martin A. Knutson Site Manager Theodore G. Ayers Deputy Site Manager Thomas C. McMurtry Chief, Research Aircraft Operations Division Larry C. Barnett Chief, Shuttle Support Office Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Md. Dr. John W. Townsend Director Gerald W. Longanecker Director, Flight Projects Robert E. Spearing Director, Operations and Data Systems Daniel A. Spintman Chief, Networks Division Gary A. Morse Network Director Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, Calif. Dr. Lew Allen Director Dr. Peter T. Lyman Deputy Director John H. Gerpheide Manager, Magellan Project Anthony J. Spear Deputy Manager, Magellan Project Dr. Saterios Sam Dallas Manager, Science and Mission Design, Magellan Project Dr. R. Steven Sanders Magellan Project Scientist